In 1965, he started singing in the flea market in Saint-Ouen and created a duo with his sister Catherine. They released a single with four titles.

After his military service, the duo broke up, and he issued his first solo single. He developed a folksy style which was enormously popular in the 1970s and '80s. He toured extensively, both in France and abroad. In 1976, he toured in 14 cities in the USSR.